Ryan Lochte, US Swimming and Rio: What’s at stake

Brazilian police say Ryan Lochte, the US swimmer with 12 career Olympic medals, has some explaining to do. They contend the story that he told about him and three teammates getting robbed early Sunday in Rio de Janeiro is a lie.

What really happened, police say, is one or more of the swimmers vandalized a gas station bathroom and urinated on the premises before armed security guards confronted them.

An exchange of money between the athletes and guards, they say, was to pay for the damage done.

Much of the incident was captured on closed-circuit TV footage.

But there are still questions that need to be answered, civil police Chief Fernando Veloso has said.

Three of the four swimmers, including Lochte, are back in the United States. Veloso said Lochte would be interviewed at some point but wasn’t specific about where the interview would take place.

Lochte on Wednesday night strongly insisted he didn’t make up the story, Matt Lauer of Olympics broadcaster NBC reported.

Here’s a breakdown of what we know and don’t know about the reported robbery – and what it means for everyone involved:

Brazil police: Swimmers covered up act of vandalism

What does each side have to lose?

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Rio has been trying to rise above a multitude of negative headlines. Starting well before the Olympic Games, the city has been hammered for its dire financial situation, crime, security, pollution and the presence of the Zika virus. Not to mention Brazil is in the midst of political upheaval, including its Senate voting to hold an impeachment trial for suspended President Dilma Rousseff.

Lochte isn’t the only one to say he was robbed in Rio – the Australian team claim their possessions were stolen at the Olympic Village as they evacuated in a fire scare.

British Olympic officials said Thursday that one of its athletes had also been robbed.

And an Australian swimmer was forced to withdraw $1,000 from his ATM after a night out in Copacabana.

As for USA Swimming and the US Olympic Committee, which has apologized for the swimmers’ behavior, the incident marks a 180-degree turn from the start of the Games.Team USA dominated the stories from the pool and out of it, particularly with Lilly King speaking out against doping and Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel and Michael Phelps winning historic medals.

What we know

On Sunday, four US swimmers – Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen – went to a party at the French team’s hospitality house. The swimmers returned to the Olympic Village at 6:56 a.m., as shown in surveillance video. CNN has been unable to authenticate the video, which the Daily Mail obtained.

Closed-circuit TV footage from the gas station early Sunday does not conclusively show no robbery occurred there, but it does indicate Lochte left out a huge part of the story in his initial accounts.

Police say one or more of the swimmers vandalized a bathroom at the station and urinated outdoors on the premises. That part appears likely, going by video images of one of the men pulling up his pants.

The men re-entered their taxi and were approached by security guards that police say were armed. One leans into the car, and the men get out.

Police said the athletes handed over 100 reals ($20) to cover the damages. But the swimmers have not confirmed that this is what happened, and Lochte’s attorney maintains the athletes were robbed.

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Lochte’s initial account to NBC on Sunday described how theswimmers were robbed by men with a police badge and that one of them pressed a gun to his head. The US Olympic Committee corroborated that account at that time.

On Wednesday, a Brazilian judge ordered Lochte’s and Feigen’s passports seized to bar them from leaving the country. Police arrived at the Olympic Village to confiscate the passports, but the men were not present, the US Olympic Committee said. Lochte was already back in the United States.

Bentz and Conger arrived in Miami on Friday after police in Brazil questioned them.

Police said the swimmers said they had not been robbed, although the athletes have not commented publicly.

On Wednesday, Bentz and Congerwere pulled off a flight in Rio bound for the United States and barred from leaving until they gave a statement to police. Police said they interviewed the two on Thursday.

Feigen provided authorities with a revised statement Thursday evening “with the hope of securing the release of his passport as soon as possible,” the US Olympic Committee said.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win the 200 meters for the third consecutive Olympics on Thursday, August 18. Bolt has also won three straight golds in the 100 meters.

Bolt builds a big lead in the final stretch of the race.

American Ryan Crouser won gold in the shot put.

Belgium's Simon Gougnard, left, is challenged by Argentina's Agustin Mazzilli during the field hockey final. Argentina won the gold medal with a 4-2 victory.

Norwegian golfer Marianne Skarpnord reacts to a missed birdie putt during the second round.

Synchronized swimmers from Russia perform their technical routine.

Japan's Misaki Matsutomo, right, and Ayaka Takahashi, second from left, celebrate with their coaches after winning the doubles final in badminton.

Spain's Alba Torrens, right, shoots over Serbia's Sonja Petrovic during a semifinal game. Spain won 68-54 and will play the United States in the final.

U.S. decathlete Ashton Eaton competes in the pole vault. He went on to win the decathlon, defending his Olympic title from 2012.

German decathlete Arthur Abele gestures during the javelin portion of the event.

Ukrainian canoeist Yuriy Cheban celebrates gold in the C-1 200-meter sprint.

South Korea's Min-kyu Choi and Gwang-hee Cho race Brazil's Gilvan Bitencourt Ribeiro and Edson Isaias Freitas da Silva during the K-2 200-meter sprint.

Italy enters the pool for the water polo semifinal against Serbia.

Egypt's Omar El Geziry, left, competes against Guatemala's Charles Fernandez during the fencing portion of the modern pentathlon.

Chinese diver Ren Qian takes part in the 10-meter platform final, which she won. She is the youngest medal winner at the Rio Games so far (15 years and 180 days).

U.S. freestyle wrestler Helen Maroulis celebrates after winning gold in the 53-kilogram (117-pound) final.

Russia's Alexey Denisenko kicks Belgium's Jaouad Achab during a taekwondo semifinal. Denisenko ended up with the silver medal.

Japan's Risako Kawai, in red, wrestles Latvia's Anastasija Grigorjeva. Kawai would go on to win gold in her weight class.

Sailors start the medal race for the women's 49er FX class.

U.S. triathlete Joe Maloy is doused with water after crossing the finish line.

BMX riders take flight during the quarterfinals.

Germany's Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel celebrate winning bronze in the 49er class.

American Allyson Felix tries to hand the baton to teammate English Gardner in a 4x100-meter relay heat. The U.S. team was disqualified after dropping the baton, but it won an appeal after officials ruled the pair had been obstructed by a Brazilian runner during the exchange. They later clinched a spot in the final after a re-run.

Jonathan Brownlee of Great Britain competes in the triathlon. He took home the silver medal. His brother Alistair won the gold.

Kerron Clement of the United States celebrates winning gold in the 400-meter hurdles.

Puerto Rico's Javier Culson reacts after being disqualified in the 400-meter hurdles final.

Indian badminton player P. V. Sindhu plays a semifinal match against Japan's Nozomi Okuhara. Sindhu won, and she will face Spain's Carolina Marin in the gold-medal match on Friday.

Ana Simic of Croatia competes in the high jump qualifications.

U.S. rhythmic gymnast Laura Zeng practices her routine.

Spain's Carlos Tobalina takes part in the shot put.

Mexican diver Paola Espinosa competes in the 10-meter platform semifinal.

A U.S. fan attends a women's freestyle wrestling match.

Rio Olympics: Day 13

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What we don’t know

Exactly when did the four swimmers leave the party? Judge Keyla Blanc De Cnop, in her court order, said the swimmers allegedly made statements to police that they left the party at the France house at 4 a.m. However, Alexandre Braga, chief of the tourist police force in Rio, told journalists Wednesday that the swimmers left the party at 5:45 a.m.

Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, said he couldn’t pin down the timing but said it was around 5 or 6 a.m.

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Both Lochte and Brazilian authorities said money was exchanged and a gun was brandished at some point, but that can’t be seen on the security footage.

And while this video shows that Lochte didn’t tell the whole story, it doesn’t technically rule out the possibility of a robbery.

How did the athletes appear to be acting when they returned to the Olympic Village at 6:56 a.m.?Video appears to show the swimmers in possession of high-value items that might be expected to have been taken in an armed robbery. And the judge said the athletes’ jocular behavior upon arrival at the Olympic Village – combined with inconsistencies in their statements – led police to question the veracity of the robbery claim.

However, it’s hard to infer from the video how the athletes were acting. Ostrow said the video doesn’t show a complete picture of what happened, considering there is no audio.

“That video shows me nothing – it shows guys coming home at 6 or 7 in the morning and shows me they’re happy that they’re alive,” he said.